7 minute read
RELIGION
GlendaleStar.com /GlendaleStar For more religion visit glendalestar.com
Corral these thoughts from a real roundup
Let me set the stage for you. Years ago, I was at the Red Lake Ranch in New Mexico at roundup time. Roundup was a big deal at Red Lake.
The ranch shipped as many as 700 steers and 700 heifers each fall. Rounding up that many cattle on this 125,000-plus-acre ranch, situated in the high country, 60 miles southwest of Albuquerque, required all the cowboys and cowgirls the owners could muster. Thus, there I was, in my late twenties, riding in a real, honest to God, western roundup.
The horse I rode was named Quien Sabe . I’m a medium horse rider, but Quien Sabe was a high-grade cattle horse. Why did they give me Quien Sabe? They knew that I didn’t know what I was doing, but the horse did. Go fi gure. Quien Sabe in Spanish means, “Who knows” or “Who’s to say?”
During the fi nal stage of most roundups, cattle are moved from the shipping pasture to the shipping pens. There the cattle are weighed and then loaded onto cattle trucks.
All the riders form a large “V,” aiming the cattle to the gate of the shipping pen. There is one rider who rides what is called “point.” The “point” rider is in the middle of the “V” and slowly drives the cattle into the “V” narrow end and then through the corral gate opening.
You guessed it. Quien Sabe and I were assigned the task of riding “point.” Initially, he did a great job of slowly herding the 700 heifers toward the gate. I was hanging on and enjoying the ride.
What a fantastic experience to watch a real ranch horse do his job. Occasionally, a heifer would try and break out of the “V” line. Quien Sabe cut her off and herded her back into the group.
Time and time again, the cattle tested Quien Sabe, but he was up to the challenge. Quien Sabe won every time. Then he would look back at me as if to say, “Wasn’t that good? I’m hot, hot, hot! Watch and learn, you greenhorn city slicker. You will call me ‘The Precious’ after this roundup.”
After hours of the stuff that cowboys and cow horses do, Quien Sabe and I pointed 700 heifers into the shipping pen. However, at the front of the line was the alpha heifer. She’s the leader the herd follows and obeys without question. This time, the alpha heifer stuck her head into the shipping pen and somehow signaled to the herd, “I ain’t walking down this road.”
She made a 180-degree turn, ran at full speed, and the other heifers, instantly and without question, followed her lead. Have you heard of groupthink? Heifers do it very well.
Now, Quiem Sabe and I had 700 heifers stampeding toward us. I’m right in the middle of an authentic New Mexico cattle stampede.
Houston, or Red Lake Ranch, we have a problem! As the stampede raced toward us, the only eyes bigger than mine were Quien Sabe’s. His ears bent straight forward and then up. He hesitantly stepped forward, trying to decide which heifer he was going to take on fi rst.
While I appreciated his mettle, my will to survive kicked in. The unlearned, greenhorn city slicker riding Quien Sabe made an executive decision. We made a 180-degree turn pronto, and off we went. Quien Sabe never looked back.
We ran, full speed ahead, with cattle behind us. And, of course, the 20 or so riders and their horses raced after the heifers and us. Thank God Quien Sabe was faster than the cattle. I imagine our group of riders looked like an oc-
10250 N. 59th Ave. 623-937-9216
Sunday Services:
Bible Study ....................................... 9:15 am Morning Worship ............................ 10:30 am Discipleship Training ........................ 4:45 pm Evening Worship .............................. 6:00 pm
Wednesdays:
TeamKid, Youth Worship
Bible Study & Prayer........................6:00 pm
CHURCH COMMUNITY CONNECTION
Pastor Ed Delph
Glendale Star Columnist
Harvest CHurCH
8340 W. Northern Ave. Glendale, AZ 85305
Information 623.334.9482 Dr. Ron G. Rockwell – Pastor Sunday: 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m.
Nursery Provided Wednesday: Family Night 7:00 p.m. www.hcaz.org
101 Freeway91st ave.
Harvest CHurCH 8340 W. Northern
Northern Ave.
SEE DELPH PAGE 23
Shepherd of the Desert
Lutheran Church - ELCA
11025 N. 111th Ave., Sun City/Youngtown • Worship Saturday 4pm,
Sunday 9:30am • Holy Communion both services • Pancake Breakfast 8-10am
Last Saturday Every Month
Drive-Thru Only • In-Person Bible Study
Wed 6pm
10935 W. Olive Ave. Peoria 85345 Phone (623) 972-8479 office@westolive.com www.westolive.com Sunday Bible Study 9 a.m. Worship 10 a.m. & 6:00 p.m. Wednesday Bible Classes for all ages - 7:00 p.m.
Handicap Bus - Call for pickup
(24hrs in Advance) 623 340-8232 Pastor Phil Gustofson, Interim Pastor
623-933-1359 shepherdofthedesertelca.org Everyone Is Welcome!
DELPH FROM PAGE 22 topus on roller skates. There was plenty of movement, but you never know if it’s going to be forward, backward or sideways.
To make a long story longer (cowboys do that), we fi nally gathered all the heifers up and proceeded to try again, this time successfully. But Quien Sabe didn’t seem quite as, shall we say, confi dent on the second try. Maybe I am humanizing Quien Sabe a bit, but I think he may have learned a powerful lesson. Sometimes it’s best not to let yourself get in the way when you ought to get out of the way. It’s hard to get off your high horse, but sometimes it’s much harder on you if you don’t.
The Bible has wisdom for people who are of the Quien Sabe variety and ilk. James 4:10 reads, “Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” Bible wisdom said it is our job to humble ourselves, and it’s God’s job to exalt us. Sometimes, we are like Quien Sabe and we try to exalt ourselves. Then God does our job and humbles us. We get exalted when we humble ourselves. Use your horse sense. It leads to stable thinking.
Here’s your takeaway: Quien Sabe (Who knows?) now knows that using a little wisdom when facing a big problem probably saved his life, and his riders, too. He now knows self-suffi ciency has ruined many a Quien Sabe who refused to get off their high horse when they ought to. Quien Sabe now knows a herd of 700 heifers are a lot of cows, and that ain’t no bull!
Sometimes it is more important to discover what one cannot do, than what one can do.
Ed Delph is Phoenix native who lives in the North Valley. Since 1980, he has pastored three churches in the Valley. He is a noted author of 10 books, weekly columnist in several local and worldwide newspapers, teacher, business owner and speaker. He has been to or ministered in over 100 countries. He is president of a worldwide ministry, NationStrategy.
To learn more about Pastor Ed Delph, the Church-Community Connection and Nation strategy, call 623-376-6757, e-mail nationstrategy@cs.com or visit nationstrategy.com.
Teen singing duo opens Bellevue Heights concert series
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Glendale Star Executive Editor
Connor Simpson and Natalie Mason will headline the fi rst of fi ve Summer Sundae Sunday concerts on June 20 at Bellevue Heights Church.
The concert begins at 6 p.m. in the church worship center and the public is invited to the free show.
Simpson and Mason have been best friends for many years and graduated from high school last month in Las Vegas.
Simpson was the top tenor in the Nevada public school system for the past two years. He is in demand as an anthem singer and will perform the “Star-Spangled Banner” this summer for the Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco Giants.
A classically trained pianist, Mason is a seven-year member of the Nevada All-State Choir.
Both are involved in singing and youth leadership at their home church, Green Valley Baptist in Henderson, Nevada. Mason will study at Dallas Baptist University, while Simpson will head to California Baptist University in Riverside, California
After each concert, attendees are treated to free ice cream sundaes on the church campus at 9440 W. Hutton Drive in Sun City.
Other concerts in 2021 include Sounds of the Southwest Singers (July 4), Heidi Hernandez with Harp Synergy (Aug. 1), The Cimarron Sidekicks (Aug. 29) and concluding with pianist Nicole Pesce and trumpeter Dan Reed (Sept. 26).
For more information, call the church offi ce at 623-977-8308 or visit bhcsuncity.com. Masks are optional at all Summer Sundae Sunday concerts.
City of Glendale Bulk Trash Collection Schedule
3rd Quarter, 2021
Section 1
July 5-9 August 2-6 September 6-10 Section 2
July 12-16 August 9-13 September 13-17 Section 3
July 19-23 August 16-20 September 20-24 Section 4
July 26-30 August 23-27 Sept 27-Oct 1
natalie & connor in Concert
FREE ADMISSION
(a Love Offering will be received)
FREE ICE CREAM SUNDAES
following the performance!
Residents may place bulk trash out no earlier than the Thursday before your scheduled service week (ex: Thursday, July 1 for Monday, July 5) and no later than 6 a.m. the Monday of your scheduled service week.
